Divider for cardboard boxes

ABSTRACT

It comprises a plurality of flat strips ( 1 ) and a plurality of dividing walls ( 2 ) arranged transversally to the flat strips ( 1 ), the length of each flat strip ( 1 ) being substantially equal to one of the dimensions of the box ( 4 ), and each dividing wall ( 2 ) being set between two adjacent flat strips ( 1 ) or between one flat strip ( 1 ) and a wall of the box ( 4 ), and at least some of the dividing walls ( 2 ) having a flap ( 3, 3   a ) at each end, and each of the flaps ( 3, 3   a ) being glued to a flat strip ( 1 ) or to the wall of the box ( 4 ). The divider can be manufactured in a totally automated continuous process, and allows a remarkable saving of materials while its strength is not reduced.

The present invention relates to a divider for cardboard boxes, of thetype formed by sheets which divide the inner space of the box intocompartments, which can be produced in a continuous process and involvesa considerable saving of materials with respect to other known dividers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known in the art, for example in Spanish patent P9400980, are dividersfor foldable cardboard boxes, which are manufactured in a continuousprocess by overlapping and gluing a number of strips of cardboard andthen cutting a suitable length from the assembly; folded dividers arethus produced, which before insertion into the boxes or when the box isunfolded for use, unfold in their turn to define the compartments intowhich the products, such as bottles, are to be arranged.

These known dividers are practical because they can be manufactured by acontinuous process and, if desired, stored together with their ownfolded box; however, due to the arrangement of the strips which form thedivider, the use made of the materials of the divider is not optimum.

Other known dividers which can be manufactured in continuous process aremade up of strips of cardboard folded in zig-zag shape and glued to eachother only by a small portion at the corners of the compartments, as inthe case of U.S. Pat. No. 3,011 672; this divider nevertheless calls forvery precise fitting of the strips, and is too fragile, for it canbecome unglued easily.

GB-A-911 027 describes a cellular structure formed by folding along ascore line a component constituted by two flat parallel strips having aplurality of dividing walls between them.

DE-A-1 931 611 describes a divider for cardboard boxes formed fromelementary modules, each module comprising two parallel flat strips anda plurality of transverse dividing walls between them, each dividingwall having flaps glued to the flat strips. This document is consideredthe closest prior art to the present invention and constitutes the basisfor the preamble of appended claim 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide dividers forfoldable cardboard boxes which can be manufactured in a continuousprocess and consume less materials than known dividers, without therebydetracting from the qualities of the divider.

In accordance with this object, the divider of the invention forcardboard boxes is as defined in claim 1.

This divider has all the advantages of the known dividers, in particularthe possibility of being manufactured by a totally automated continuousprocess, while further permitting a considerable saving in materialswithout thereby being detrimental to its strength.

Advantageously, said flat strips and said dividing walls presentprojections and incuts of complementary shape; thereby, and due tocontinuous-process manufacturing of the divider, materials can be saved.

In the event of the divider being intended to be fitted folded into afoldable box and stored together therewith until the time of use, on twoopposite sides there are dividing walls linked by one of the flaps to anintermediate flat strip, but with the other flap left free so that itcan be glued to one wall of the box. The folded divider is inserted intoa box and the free flaps glued to the walls of the box in such a waythat when the box is unfolded for use the divider is also unfolded.

If, on the other hand, the divider is to be unfolded and inserted into abox which is already open, it is provided on two opposite sides withdividing walls which are linked by one of the flaps to an intermediateflat strip and by the other flap to a flat end strip, the latterremaining in contact with one wall of the box. The divider is unfoldedwith the help of the end strips and is inserted into the open box; theend strips also prevent the divider from folding again.

Advantageously, the flat end strips are of different material orthickness from the intermediate flat strips, since these strips do nothave the function of protecting the products stored in the box.

In one embodiment, the dividing walls are glued to the flat stripsslightly offset from each other, so that the divider fits the box welland all compartments are of the same size.

According to another aspect of the invention,

In this case the divider is not attached to the box, but rather theproducts themselves, such as bottles, keep it in its place. This divideris particularly suitable for use on machines of the “wrap around” type,in which the bottles are first placed in a suitable arrangement and thedivider is then inserted between them, and the box is formed and closedaround the assembly.

Some dividing walls present two flaps, one at each end, and are intendedto be arranged between two adjacent strips, while other dividing wallshave only one flap at one of their ends, and are intended to be arrangedbetween one strip and the wall of the box.

Also preferably, the dividing walls which have only one flap are oflesser width than that of the dividing walls with two flaps.

Materials are thereby saved, since the dividing walls do not have toreach the wall of the box because the bottles themselves prevent thedivider from moving; the dividing walls and the strips adjacent to thewalls of the box need only reach to approximately half of the diameterof the bottles in order to prevent two bottles from coming into contactwith each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of all that has been set out, some drawingsare attached which, schematically and solely by way of non-restrictiveexample, show a practical case of embodiment.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a divider in accordance with the presentinvention, totally unfolded in its use position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the divider of FIG. 1, partially folded,

FIG. 3 is view of a detail of a particular embodiment of a divider inaccordance with the invention;

FIGS. 4a, 4 b are schematic drawings which show o possible arrangementsfor a twelve-compartment divider;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a variant of embodiment the divider of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the divider, of the present inventioncomprises a number of flat strips 1 parallel to each other, two in thecase shown, which will hereinafter be called longitudinal strips, solelyin order to assign a geometric reference to the divider in order tofacilitate description.

With the strips 1 are associated a plurality of transverse dividingwalls 2, shorter than the strips 1 and also parallel to each other,which-have flaps 3, 3 a on their ends for gluing, respectively, to thestrips 1 and to the walls of the box 4.

In the example shown in FIG. 1 and a there are nine transverse dividingwalls 2, which as can be seen will form a total of twelve compartments 5with the longitudinal strips 1, once the divider is placed in a box(FIG. 1).

The length of the flat strips 1 is equal to a dimension of the box towhich the divider will be attached, while the length of each dividingwall 2, without the flaps, defines one of the dimensions of eachcompartment 5; the other dimension of the compartment is defined by thedistance between each two dividing walls.

The shown divider has essentially square compartments, though simply byaltering the dimensions and position of the transverse dividing wallscompartments of another shape could be formed.

The strips can be of any thickness, depending on the specific needs ofeach case.

The constructional layout described has several advantages: on the onehand, consumption of materials is minimum, since there are no-doublewalls, while at the same time the dividing walls 2 are solidly fixed tothe strips 1 by the flaps. Another advantage is that manufacturing ofthe divider can be carried out automatically and by a continuousprocess.

Indeed, the divider of the invention is manufactured with a continuousprocess similar to that described in documents ES 9400980 and U.S. Pat.No. 3,011,672, which can be referred to for further details: it sufficesto mention here that along general lines this process consists insupplying from a number of coils several webs of cardboard of differentwidths (one web for each flat strip, and one web for each dividingwall), overlapping them in suitable reciprocal positions and withapplication of an adhesive on the zones which will correspond to theflaps, pressing the assembly and finally cutting portions thereoftransversally, each cut portion constituting a folded divider ready forinsertion into a box.

Advantageously, prefolding or weakening lines are formed on the stripscorresponding to the dividing walls 2, to facilitate subsequentunfolding of the divider.

In one embodiment of the invention, which permits an even greater savingof materials, the divider has a number of complementary projections 6and incuts 7 (see FIG. 1): the pointed projections 6 lengthen thedivider to a suitable height to prevent the upper parts of the productsstored in the compartments 5 from knocking against each other, while atthe same time a complete section of material is saved.

Furthermore, for example in boxes for bottles, the pointed shapesometimes prevents the labels of the bottles from bending or tearing asthey are inserted in the box.

The complementary shape of the projections and incuts is due to the factthat, in production of the divider, two dividers are separated from eachother with a single transverse cut which can be given the desired shape.

The projections can be of any height and the incuts of any depth,depending on the product to be stored in the box and the saving ofmaterials desired. The more pronounced the projections and incuts thegreater the saving of materials.

Where it is desired to achieve a maximum saving by making the cuts verypronounced, the cuts are made in positions offset from the centre of theside wall of each compartment 5, so that in spite of the depth of thecut the zone located at half-height, where the products (particularlybottles) are widest and need greatest protection, is never left open.

The described divider can be inserted, folded and with lines of adhesiveapplied to the flaps 3 a, in a cardboard box 4, and stored with the boxuntil the time of use; when the box is unfolded the divider also unfoldsautomatically.

The divider can nevertheless also be stored separately and inserted intoa box once the box is unfolded, at the time of use; in this case, inorder to facilitate unfolding of the divider and prevent it from foldingagain when it is left inside the box, two additional flat end strips8.(shown in broken lines in FIG. 2) can be glued onto the flaps 3 a ofthe dividing walls 2; in the previous case these flaps were glueddirectly to the box.

The end strips 8 do not have to exercise any protective function, forwhich reason they do not need the same features as the intermediate flatstrips 1 or the dividing walls 2, so they can be manufactured fromcardboard of lower quality or density, so as not to make the productmore expensive, or they can be made thinner. Moreover, adding them doesnot pose any difficulties in the manufacturing procedure.

In principle, the dividing walls 2 are attached to the flat strips 1 insuch a way as to be aligned with each other. In some cases, however,especially where the strips 1 and the dividing walls 2 are relativelythick, it happens that the divider remains aligned only towards one sideof the box, while at the other side some free space is left, and thecompartments 5 beside one the walls are then slightly smaller, and thecompartments 5 beside the opposite wall are slightly larger; this is dueto the effect of the thicknesses of the strips and dividing walls, whichmakes the dimension of the divider different when folded and whenunfolded.

In order to prevent this small difference, the dividing walls can beglued to the strips slightly offset with a distance d from one dividingwall to the next, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 4a, 4 b show two different arrangements of the strips and thedividing walls for making a twelve-compartment divider; FIG. 4acorresponds to the embodiment shown in the previous figures, while FIG.4b is an alternative which is also possible.

FIG. 5 shows a variant of embodiment, also included in the presentinvention. In this figure, the divider is shown inserted into a box 4with a dozen bottles B.

In this variant, the dividing walls 2′ left between one strip 1 and thewall of the box have only one flap 3, with which they adhere to thecorresponding strip, and they are shorter than the dividing walls 2fitted between two strips. The strips 1 are also shorter than in theembodiments described above, and do not reach the walls of the box 4.

The divider of FIG. 5 is not attached to the box: it is used with “wraparound” machines, in which the twelve bottles (or pertinent number) arefirst placed one beside the other according to the layout they willfinally have in the box, and the divider is then fitted between them.Since the divider is inserted with the bottles already in position, itcannot fold or move, and it is not necessary to attach it to the box.

Although specific embodiments of the divider of the invention have beendescribed and shown, it is clear that all details can be replaced byothers which are technically equivalent without departing from the scopeof protection defined by the attached claims.

In particular, it is clear that the divider could be manufactured withany number of compartments, depending on the requirements of eachspecific case, and that card-board or similar materials of any thicknessand type could be used for the strips and dividing walls. Asix-compartment divider, for example, could be manufactured with asingle flat sheet and four dividing walls, two on either side of thesheet.

What is claimed is:
 1. A divider for cardboard boxes, of the type formedby strips which divide the inner space of the box (4) into N rows ofcompartments (5) in the direction of the strips, with each row N havingM compartments, said divider comprising: a plurality of parallel flatstrips (1) and a first plurality of dividing walls (2) and a secondplurality of dividing walls (2′) structured and arranged to transverselyproject from said flat strips (1); each of said first and secondplurality of dividing walls (2, 2′) being parallel and equally spacedapart from each other, each of said first and second plurality ofdividing walls (2, 2′) being set between two of said adjacent flatstrips (1) or between one of said flat strips (1) and an adjacent wallof said box (4), when a one of said first plurality of dividing walls(2) is set between said two adjacent flat strips (1), said one of saidfirst plurality of dividing walls (2) has two flaps (3) foldablyconnected at two opposite ends thereof and glued to either side of saidflat strips (1), and when a one of said first and second plurality ofdividing walls (2, 2′) is set between one of said flat strips (1) andsaid adjacent wall of said box (4) said one of said first and secondplurality of dividing walls (2, 2′) has either: two flaps (3) foldablyconnected at two opposite ends thereof, wherein one of said flaps (3) isglued to said adjacent flat strip (1) and the other of said flaps (3) isglued to said adjacent wall of said box (4), or only one flap (3), gluedto said adjacent flat strip (1) and said one of said second plurality ofdividing walls (2′) extending toward said adjacent wall of said box (4),wherein said divider is formed having N−1 number of said flat strips(1), all of which are substantially straight in all their length andhave a length equal to or smaller than the length of one side of saidbox (4), and N·(M−1) number of said first and second plurality ofdividing walls (2, 2′), said flat strips (1) being spaced apart fromeach other such that each strip (1) separates one row of compartmentsfrom an adjacent row and has one of said flaps (3) of at least one ofsaid dividing wall (2, 2′) glued to one side thereof and one of saidflaps (3) of at least another of said first and second dividing walls(2, 2′) glued to an opposite side thereof.
 2. The divider according toclaim 1, wherein said flat strips (1) and said first set of dividingwalls (2) further comprise: projections (6) and incuts (7) ofcomplementary shape formed along a top and bottom edge thereof.
 3. Thedivider according to claim 1, wherein said first set of dividing walls(2) of adjacent rows of said strips are glued to said flat strips (1) ata distance (d), slightly offset from each other.
 4. The divideraccording to claim 1, wherein the length of parallel flat strip (1) issubstantially equal to one of the dimensions of said box (4) and each ofsaid first set of dividing walls (2) includes a first and a second flap(3, 3 a) disposed on either end of said wall (2).
 5. The divideraccording to claim 4, intended to be fitted ad folded into a foldablebox (4) and stored together therewith until the time of use, wherein:said first flap (3) of said first set of dividing walls (2) being gluedto a one of said plurality of parallel flat strips (1), and said secondflap (3 a) of said first set of dividing walls (2) being glued to a wallof said box (4).
 6. The divider according to claim 4, intended to beunfolded and inserted into a box (4) which is already open, wherein:said first flap (3) of said first set of dividing walls (2) is glued toa one of said plurality of parallel flat strips (1), and said secondflap (3 a) of said first set of dividing walls (2) is glued to a one ofa plurality of flat end strips (8), whereby each of said plurality offlat end strips (8) interconnect said first set of dividing walls (2)and a wall of said box (4).
 7. The divider according to claim 6, whereineach of said plurality of flat end strips (8) are made from at least oneof a different material and a different thickness than said flat strips(1).
 8. The divider according to claim 4, wherein said first set ofdividing walls (2) are glued to said plurality of flat strips (1) andare offset a slight distance (d) from one another.
 9. The divideraccording to claim 1, wherein: said first set of dividing walls (2)comprises: a first flap formed at a first end of each of said first setof dividing walls (2), and a second flap formed at a second end of eachof said first set of dividing walls (2), wherein said first set ofdividing walls (2) are arranged between a pair of adjacent parallel flatstrips (1), and wherein said second set of dividing walls (2′)comprises: a single flap (3) formed at one end thereof such that each ofsaid second set of dividing walls (2′) are arranged between one of saidplurality of parallel flat strips (1) and a wall of said box (4). 10.The divider according to claim 9, wherein said second set of dividingwalls has a width (2′) which is smaller than a width of said first setof dividing walls (2).